


Shadow of a Doubt

by HannahBananya



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Blood and Injury, Everyone Has Issues, Gen, Hyrule Castle, Injury, Link (Legend of Zelda) Needs a Hug, Link (Legend of Zelda) Uses Sign Language, Link has anxiety, Link's Dad Wins "Father of The Year Award" in First Chapter, Not Canon Compliant, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pre-Calamity Ganon, Rating Changed, Selectively Mute Link (Legend of Zelda), Zelda is a jerk, but he also talks, everyone is oblivious to this, no zelink
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:55:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 17,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26325988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HannahBananya/pseuds/HannahBananya
Summary: Some people are born to make history, others doomed to fade into obscurity.When Link pulls the Master Sword free from its pedestal, he immediately doubts himself as the hero of legend. His ambitions were not noble; his sole reason for training to become a knight was to make his father, a member of the Royal Guard, proud. He does not enjoy fighting; he never has.But he learns quickly to keep these uncertainties to himself; after all, how could Hyrule believe in a hero that didn't believe in himself?This is the story—the memory—of someone that faded into obscurity, forgotten one-hundred years later. Because sometimes, the most seemingly insignificant people can have very significant effects on the course of history.
Comments: 52
Kudos: 174





	1. The Goddess's Chosen Hero

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update: Fixed the horrible formatting error that made the indents before paragraphs wayyy too long.

It started when he turned sixteen.

Each year, the new military recruits at Hyrule Castle traveled North through Minshi Woods, past the Military Training Camp they’d graduated from, and all the way to the Lost Woods. Each soldier attempted to find their way through the woods, searching for the legendary blade that seals the darkness: The Master Sword. No one had seen the blade since it was last used to combat Ganon, ten thousand years ago. It was considered a blessing that no one had been able to find it recently, as that indicated the inevitable resurrection of Ganon was not yet underway.

Traditionally, no one under the age of sixteen was recruited as a soldier. Incidentally, this was also the age documented in legends that was considered to be the age requirement for the hero to wield the Master Sword. Stories told of a hero, too young, who pulled the sword from the pedestal, and was put in a sacred slumber until he was old enough. However, Link had been an exception to the military age requirement; his talent with a blade was truly impressive. He surpassed many of the older more experienced men in technique alone, defeating them in combat easily. As a result, the head of the guard had made an allowance for him, despite his age.

Link had just turned sixteen, so it had been his turn to go to the lost woods.

Link remembered little of the trip there, it was hardly worth mentioning when compared to his return to the castle; Master Sword on his back and the weight of the world on his shoulders. The wide-eyed stares he received riding through Castle Town stuck with him, even after he’d dismounted and passed his horse off to one of the royal stable hands while senior guardsmen ushered him to the throne room, intent to inform the king as quickly as possible.

Link remembered kneeling in front of King Rhoam, feeling the eyes of the king and every royal guard in the room—including his father—stare at the sword on his back in a mixture of awe and dread.

The King spoke as he always did; collected and deliberate. But Link could hear the smallest hint of worry creep its way into his voice.

_“It would seem the return of Ganon is closer than we initially believed. That is…unfortunate, but not entirely unexpected.”_

_The King paused to recollect his thoughts, and Link chanced a quick glance at his father. He was standing with his back to the wall on the right side of the room, clad in the Royal Guard uniform. Their gazes met for a brief second before his father’s eyes narrowed. Link could almost hear his father’s voice in his head, reprimanding him, “Be respectful, put your head down!”_

_Link quickly redirected his gaze to the floor once again._

_“Tonight, you may leave.” The King’s words came as a surprise, “Go home and prepare; collect your things, inform your family, and then return. You have three weeks.”_

_Three weeks…Hateno was quite a long way from Hyrule Castle; three weeks would give him just enough time to get there and come back. Still, Link felt he should be grateful; the King was being gracious enough to allow him a trip home to see his mother, a trip that would take time—something that was of utmost importance._

_In reality, King Rhoam was praying that the extra time would be enough for his daughter, Princess Zelda, to access her sealing powers._

The journey to Hateno was long, but mostly uneventful. Link had wrapped the sheath of the master sword in cloth to hide it, so no one he came across on the road knew who he was. His father came too, at the behest of The King. His father behaved the way he always did; giving no acknowledgment to his son’s achievement of claiming the legendary blade, even when they set up camp for the night, utterly alone. By the time they arrived home, they were both weary from travel, and Link was exceptionally relieved to be home again.

Truthfully told, training to become a knight hadn’t been Link’s idea; it’d been his father’s. His father was part of the Royal Guard, something he was quite proud of, and spent many years training to achieve that status since he was young. He fully expected his son to do the same.

If someone had asked Link—and no one ever did—what is was he liked to do, he would’ve said a variety of things; he liked cooking, and then eating what he cooked, he liked riding his horse, climbing trees to pick apples for his horse, swimming and fishing, and he liked helping out the other villagers with their day-to-day life. He liked delivering the milk from the dairy farm up on the hill to the shop in town so the old farmer didn’t have to walk all that way (the farmer was always so grateful, and gave Link a couple bottles of free milk for the trouble), he liked collecting colorful mushrooms from Ginner Woods for the Dye Shop owner to use, and catching frogs for the village children (the frogs were slimy and they slipped out between their nubby little fingers easily. Link was better at catching them.)

Point is, there were a lot of things Link liked to do. 

Fighting, and training to fight, were not things Link enjoyed.

But something else Link wanted—more than he wanted to pick apples for his horse, or deliver milk—was to make his father happy.

Link found it easy to make his mother happy; he’d help her cook, or compliment her cooking when he didn’t. He’d go into town and buy things she needed; fresh ingredients, sewing materials, etc. When he found something around the house that needed done, like the lanterns being low on oil and needing refilled, he’d do it. It seemed that every little thing he did made his mother proud.

Link’s father, however, was much more difficult to please. He didn’t trust Link’s craftsmanship, so he never let him help with repairs around the farm. He didn’t approve when Link helped his mother in the kitchen; he thought that was women’s work.

The one thing Link could do that made his father happy, was practice swordsmanship.

The few times Link could remember his father praising him, had been when he held a sword in his hand.

A specific memory, one from when he was quite young, came to mind. Link had been playing in the back yard, brandishing a tree branch like a sword, as little boys often did, when his father had returned home from Hyrule Castle. His father watched him play for a bit before Link noticed him. When he did, Link tossed the stick aside and ran to him, hugging his leg, happy that his dad was home.

His father had set down his equipment and ruffled his hair affectionately; commenting on how someday, Link would be a knight, too.

Innocent blue eyes had looked up at the man that day, filled with a sudden determination.

If becoming a knight would make his father happy, then Link would become a knight.

Sadly, the more he dedicated himself to becoming a knight, the less time he had to do the things he liked. Whenever he was allowed home, he still spent every waking moment _training_ ; practicing his swordsmanship, archery, and dodging imaginary attacks. When his father was home too, they sparred. At the end of the day, Link was too tired to catch frogs for the village kids (most of them had gone to bed by then anyway), and it was too dark to go collect mushrooms in the forest. His horse would have to settle for a pat on the neck to go along with her dinner of oats because Link didn’t have the energy to pick apples after ten hours of swordsmanship training.

When the old dairy farmer offered him a job milking cows, Link had to politely decline because his job wasn’t in Hateno on a farm; it was at Hyrule Castle following a strict training regimen designed to prepare Hyrule’s forces to combat Ganon. 

That night, they were eating dinner together as a family. Link’s mother had been overjoyed by the unexpected visit from both her husband and son; and immediately set to work cooking after pulling Link into a hug, cooing about how her “little baby was all grown up.” To celebrate their return, she’d made stew; one of Link’s and his father’s favorite foods.

Ordinarily, when his mother doted on him like that, Link found it embarrassing and tried gently—often unsuccessfully—to make her stop. This time, he did nothing of the sort; hugging her close and feeling uncharacteristically _sad_ when she pulled away.

As they ate, his mother chatted with them, sharing lighthearted tales about village happenings while they were away; things almost felt normal.

Then his father told her; about the sword, the calamity, and Link’s destiny.

_All at once the house fell silent. The crickets chirping outside, the fire crackling in the woodstove, the wolves yipping in the distance as the sun fell below the horizon; all of those sounds were muted by the heavy, dreadful silence that followed Link’s father’s words._

_Link forced himself to swallow his last bite of stew, suddenly feeling ill._

_When Link looked across the table at his mother, he was horrified to discover she was crying; tears silently running down her face. He felt a bizarre urge to apologize; for what, he wasn’t sure._

_Then, she smiled sadly at him and said, “I always knew you were special. You can do this, Link, I know you can.”_

_Her encouragement made him feel a bit better, but he couldn’t help the words that spilled out of his mouth;_

_“But what if I can’t?” He asked her, eyes wide._

_The house was silent once more, but not for long because Link had more to say._

_“What if I can’t do it? I have the Master Sword, but the Princess doesn’t have her sealing powers.”_

_He knew about the Princess’s situation—of course he did—all of Hyrule knew about Princess Zelda’s inability to access the sealing power passed down through the royal bloodline. He also knew from the legends that it was the Princess of Destiny who was responsible for sealing Ganon away once the hero weakened him in battle._

_What good would fighting Ganon do if the Princess couldn’t seal him away?_

_Finally, Link admitted, “I’m ...scared.”_

_His father was the first to answer him, speaking in a firm, commanding tone, “Link. You are the hero of courage, chosen by the Goddess herself to wield the Master Sword.”_

 _It was what he said next that would stick with Link for the rest of his life._

_“You’re not allowed to be scared.”_

_Link froze, the meaning of the words sinking in._

_His mother said something—angry, directed at his father, maybe—but Link didn’t hear her; lost in his own thoughts._

_The Goddess Hylia herself had chosen him—blessed him with courage, decided he was worth of wielding the Master Sword—to protect Hyrule. All of Hyrule; from the Rito in Hebra to the Zora in Lanayru—Mipha and her little brother, Sidon—his family, the village kids, the old dairy farmer down the road;_ everyone _was counting on him._

 _Link steeled himself. His father was right, he needed to be brave, for everyone’s sake._

_He had to be; there was no other choice._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! This first chapter is just there to give Link a bit of a backstory so he doesn’t seem so bizarrely out of character in the rest of the fic. (Can Link be out of character? He’s Link.) By next chapter the summary should start to make sense.


	2. Silence Speaks of Idiocy

Three weeks passed by much quicker than Link would’ve liked, and it wasn’t long before he found himself kneeling in the King’s presence once more.

King Rhoam gestured for him to rise, and so he did. He spoke loudly, perhaps a bit louder than was necessary; his voice booming across the vast room, “Hero of our era, Link, I would like to formally introduce you to my daughter, Princess Zelda.”

Link’s eyes widened—not enough to be noticed by anyone, he hoped—and watched as a beautiful young lady walked up the staircase and into view, taking her place beside her father. Dressed as the very icon of royalty, Princess Zelda was a sight to behold. She wore a royal blue gown adorned with white silk and gold; the triforce symbol prominent just about the corset. Zelda’s long, blond hair flowed behind her freely, striking greens eyes fixed pointedly straight ahead.

She did not look at him.

Link had seen the princess before—naturally, he’d been working at the castle as a soldier for a few years—but this was the first time he’d ever been this close, and it was certainly the first time he was “formally introduced” to her, as the King had worded it.

Link couldn’t help but stare, and yet, she would not meet his eyes.

“The fortune teller’s premonition has proven to be correct; “the signs of a resurrection of Calamity Ganon are clear,” your successful obtainment of the Master Sword attests to that.” King Rhoam said.

Something about the way he said “successful” sounded odd to Link. His suspicions were proven correct by the King’s next words;

“Since that is the case, Zelda,” He addressed his daughter. Her green eyes landed on the King; poorly concealed dread evident on her face. “I expect you to redouble your efforts to awaken your sealing power. Time is short; you mustn’t waste it.”

At last, the princess spoke, “Yes, father.”

King Rhoam stood up from his throne, standing tall and broad at his full height. Link instinctively dropped to a knee and bowed his head; as was customarily expected of him being a soldier. The only people who did not have to do that were in the Royal Guard. However, Link himself would soon be sworn into the Royal Guard, and the code of conduct he’d learned as a soldier would no longer be applicable. King Rhoam did not bother to correct the mistake; a rarity for him. The man was normally a stickler for protocol.

The King looked between Zelda and Link, then finished, “You two are destined to work together. It is only with your full cooperation and utter dedication to this fateful task that Calamity Ganon can be defeated. I trust this will not be an issue.”

Link nodded solemnly; thought he suspected the last part was meant more for Zelda than him.

Zelda replied, “Of course not, father.”

King Rhoam looked like he didn’t quite believe her, “See that it doesn’t.”

Then, he made a gesture to a line of guards that were standing along the wall,

“Take his things to his living quarters.” He commanded.

The guards bowed, chorusing a “Yes, your majesty!” before heading off to complete their task.

Link was confused; he’d already unpacked his belongings (at least, the ones he’d taken with him to Hateno) at the barracks before reporting to the King.

His confusion must’ve shown on his face—he needed to work on that—because King Rhoam elaborated, “From now on, your living quarters will be in the castle; among the other Royal Guards’ chambers.”

Oh.

“While your room is prepared, I request that you take this time to answer any questions my daughter may have regarding the sword of evil’s bane. Any information you could impart to her may help awaken her sealing powers.”

Princess Zelda noticeably stiffened; unhappy with the arrangement. “In return,” The King continued, “Zelda will answer any questions you may have regarding the calamity.” 

By now, Link was pretty familiar with the impending calamity; it had been explained to him by the captain before he set out for the Lost Woods, then by the Great Deku Tree after he pulled the sword from its pedestal, and then again by his father in Hateno.

He didn’t have any questions. Regardless, he nodded politely in response to the offer. An opportunity to speak with the Princess sounded nice though. King Rhoam was right; they were destined to work together. Perhaps he wouldn’t have to shoulder this fate alone; maybe he could confide in the princess. Perhaps a chance to speak their minds would do the both of them good.

His business finished, King Rhoam turned and made his way down the staircase, followed by two Royal Guards.

Link waited until the King was up the stairs and out of sight before he stood up. He looked up, eyes full of newfound hope and—at last—Zelda finally looked at him.

Sadly, the princess’s gaze did not convey any feelings of warmth. Instead, her eyes were narrowed to slits, shining with a fiery fury that—much to Link’s shock—appeared to be aimed _at him_. 

Link felt his heart stutter in his chest; suddenly very nervous. Questions flew through his mind, trying to guess what had happened; why was she angry with him? Had he done something wrong? Should he have stood up sooner? Should he _not_ have stood up until she permitted him?

Princess Zelda spoke

“It appears my father believes that somehow, simply being near _you_ and _that sword_ on your back, will achieve what countless hours praying to the Goddesses have not; awakening the holy power that sleeps within me needed to seal Calamity Ganon.”

Link said nothing; what could he possibly say to that?

Much like her father, Zelda also had a strong tone of voice, though much quieter and feminine. Her words did not echo off the marble walls and through the sanctum, but they didn’t need to; Link heard her loud and clear even if the other royal guards in the vicinity didn’t. 

Taking his silence as a cue to continue, Zelda went on, “But appearances aren’t everything. No, what this boils down to is my father wanting something to remind me to stay steadfast to my prayers—as if I don’t think about that every minute of every day—but more than that, he wants me to know that the _hero_ has already done his part in preparing for the return of Ganon, whereas _I_ have yet to fulfill my role to the kingdom.”

Link felt as though, from the way she spoke; her voice laden with resentment, she may have been quoting things her father had said to her in the past.

“Not being good enough for one’s father” was something Link could sympathize with. After all, his father was the sole reason he’d joined the Hyrluean Army. It always seemed that, despite his best efforts, nothing was ever _good enough_. Though he’d never been particularly angry about this; rather, he simply resolved himself to work harder and become better. And his work had paid off; he was the chosen wielder of the legendary sword that seals the darkness, even if that wasn’t what he’d wanted.

The same could not be said for Princess Zelda. Her frustration with her inability to access her sealing powers manifested itself as anger, and while this anger was with herself for her own failures, she had a tendency to lash out. Several years’ worth of trial and error had both disheartened and jaded her.

Link wanted to say something—anything—to appease her. But he found his tongue stuck, and no will to unstick it. But then, he recalled a few words of advice his father had once given him,

_“Silence speaks of idiocy. A dull mind has little to put forth. You must be brave and speak up!”_

It was something his father had told him when he was quite young, but Link still remembered it.

Well, Link didn’t want to Princess to think he was an idiot. Hesitantly— _be brave, be brave, be brave_ —he summoned his courage and opened his mouth,

“Princess,” he addressed her formally. His voice was rough from disuse—he hadn’t spoken to hardly any of his comrades upon returning from Hateno. He supposed that his drawing the master sword made them uneasy, which was understandable—but he continued, struggling to find the right words. He wanted desperately to comfort and encourage her, but he wasn’t sure how.

“I-I…” He mentally berated himself for stuttering, but he’d never spoken to a royal before, at least not in this sense. The King had spoken to him many times recently, but he mostly spoke to be listened to, or asked simple questions—

_“Where are you from, soldier?”_

_“Hateno Village, your majesty.”_

_“How old are you?”_

_“I am sixteen, your majesty.”_

\--and gave commands that warranted a standard reply of “Yes, your majesty.”

But in the end, it didn’t matter what he was going to say or how he was going to say it because Zelda cut him off hotly, “Oh, be quiet!” she snapped, jealousy shaping her words, “I don’t need you to remind me of my failures!”

Link flinched as if she’d taken her hand and slapped him. Zelda turned her back on him, and Link’s heart sank as he watched her descend the stairwell as quick as she could.

And that left Link, alone in the sanctum, staring at his feet on the red carpet covering the white marbled floor. His mind replayed the conversation over and over, analyzing it and trying to decipher what he’d done wrong and how to fix it.

What _had_ he done wrong?

Princess Zelda had certainly been upset from the moment Link met her, but she hadn’t been furious until he’d tried to speak to her.

Her words replayed in his head;

_“Be quiet!”_

_“Was that an order?”_ Link wondered to himself _._ Father’s advice or no, he wasn’t about to disobey a direct order from royalty just to save face. If Hyrule thought him an idiot, then so be it.

Link would be quiet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's taking longer than I thought it would to get where I'm going with this story. (And not just because my laptop broke and I had to get it fixed.) Oh well, hope ya'll enjoy my hesitant contribution to the Zelda fandom!


	3. Insomnia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all who have reviewed and left Kudos! <3 I hope you all have a happy day!

As a soldier, Link had lived in the barracks, stationed within Hyrule Garrison. The living arrangements there were rather basic; each soldier had his or her own bed and a small storage unit underneath said bed to contain their personal belongings (weapons and such were kept in the armory.) The sleeping quarters were, quite literally, a large room lined with beds, one right after the other along each wall. The cafeteria worked similarly in that everyone was given their rations three times a day which they then sat and ate for a few minutes, chatting with one another, before going back to work, which they usually did together depending on who was assigned to what duty.

As such, Link was well-accustomed to being around lots of people all day, every day. He’d grown used to the constant background noise of other people; whether they were eating, talking, sleeping or working; and found it almost comforting in its familiarity. He’d gotten along pretty well with his comrades; even met a few people he considered as friends. While the work wasn’t what he enjoyed—mostly training, training to fight, _training to kill and not be killed in battle_ —it was made more bearable by his friends.

In the castle, Link felt alone.

He now had a large, fancy room all to himself. His bed was much larger than what he was used to; ridiculously so, in his opinion—it probably could’ve fit at least two of him, plus a large dog. He had more room to store things than he had things to store; a wardrobe that was mostly empty resided on the far wall next to a bookshelf (why he needed a bookshelf in his room when the castle had a library, he didn’t know). His room had its own fireplace and washroom, and a simple but large rug that carpeted most of the floor. Above the fireplace mantel on the wall was a Royal Guard’s sword, shield, and halberd respectively. Adorning the wall above his bed was a Hyrulean flag, and just below it sat the Master Sword in its elegant sheath of blue and gold, displayed in all its glory. The entire room was _beautiful_ , and a part of Link felt guilty for not appreciating it more, but…

The room was _huge_ and it was utterly _silent_.

This made sleeping difficult because the complete silence unnerved him; he was so used to sleeping in a room with other people—even at home in Hateno, his family did not have separate bedrooms; that was something typically reserved for the wealthy, which Link’s family was not, despite his father’s position in the Royal Guard. If everything was completely silent, then that meant something was wrong; either he’d overslept and been left behind, or something had happened to the people around him; neither of which were incentives to _go to sleep_ , rather to _wake up immediately_. 

It was his first night in the castle, and despite being exhausted from travel, meeting the Princess, and his sudden change in living arrangements, Link found himself unable to sleep. He wasn’t sure how long he laid awake amidst a silence so strong he could hear his own heartbeat, but he eventually decided he’d had enough of that and got up.

Link wasn’t about to wander around the castle in his nightclothes, so he changed into his new Royal Guard’s uniform. Before leaving, he glanced at the Master Sword, considering taking it with him, but ultimately deciding against it. Instead, he took the Royal Guard’s sword from above the fireplace.

He wasn’t anticipating a need for the weapon, rather, he just felt better having one with him, in case the need should arise.

Link carefully stepped out into the hallway, closing the door to his chambers’ slowly to make as little noise as possible. He might not have been able to sleep, but that didn’t mean other people weren’t.

The castle hallways were just as quiet as his room, save for the soft crackles of the torch flames illuminating the walls. Link was still very unfamiliar with the castle layout, given how large it was and how little time he’d spent there, but he knew how to get to the court yard, which was where he planned to go. He hoped taking a walk in the fresh air would help him relax enough to sleep.

Taking a left turn from his room, he started down the hallway. Briefly, he wondered if he was even allowed to leave his living quarters in the middle of the night like this, but dismissed the thought—he couldn’t think of a reason why he wouldn’t be.

The corridors of the castle seemed endless, and it wasn’t until he’d made a few different turns only to end up in yet another corridor that looked exactly like the last one that he started to question his memory regarding how to get to the court yard. Link was considering turning around and heading back—at the very least, he knew how to do _that_ —until he came upon a chamber door that was bigger than the others, and had a Royal Guard stationed in front of it.

The guard was clad in the same uniform as Link, naturally. He stood with his sword drawn, tip of the blade pointed on the floor with both hands resting on the pommel.

The guard’s ear twitched—generally, Hylians had very good hearing—and he glanced over at Link, having noticed his approach. Link noticed his eyes were red—not in the sense that he was tired; whites of his eyes tinged red with stress—rather, his eyes were red in the way that Link’s eyes were blue.

That was quite odd, perhaps he was a Sheikah?

The lack of white hair (it was black) under his Royal Guard’s cap suggested otherwise.

Link opened his mouth to speak; then thought better of it. It was late; he didn’t want to wake anyone—especially not someone important enough to warrant a Royal Guard stationed outside their chamber.

Surprisingly, the guard sheathed his sword and greeted him in what Link recognized as Hylian Sign Language,

_“Hello. What are you doing?”_

Link had learned Hylian Sign in basic training; it was an ideal method of communication for soldiers in that it was silent—enemies could not overhear conversations spoken in hands. Coincidently, it was also well-suited for other situations where silent communication was necessary.

Link signed back, _“Looking for the courtyard.”_

The guard stifled a snicker, making Link feel embarrassed.

_“What is your name?”_ He asked.

_“My name is Link.”_ Link answered him, careful to spell his name letter by letter.

_“Link,”_ the guard signed, _“you could not be further away from the courtyard.”_

Link ignored his increasing humiliation and pressed on,

_“My mistake. How do I get there?”_ he asked.

The guard appeared thoughtful for a moment, then answered,

_“Take a left from here, then two rights. Downstairs past the dining hall, take a left. Downstairs again, then go right. Follow the corridor past the library, then go right again. The stairway there leads to the gardens, which connect to the courtyard. Got it?”_

Link nodded gratefully, running the words over in his mind to commit them to memory. Link doubted he would ever develop a sense of direction that good within the castle, but he could memorize directions. He’d always done much better finding his way on the roads.

_“Thank you. What is your name?”_ Link asked.

The guard signed his name the same way Link had, “ _Kodah._ ” 

Link nodded, grateful to know someone in the castle that didn’t immediately hate him upon meeting him.

Before Link left, his curiosity got the best of him and he had to ask, _“Who is that?”_ gesturing to the door behind Kodah.

Kodah answered him, _“Princess Zelda. I am her nightshift guard,”_ he explained.

Link’s eyes widened in horror. If anyone found out he’d showed up at the Princess’s chambers in the middle of the night, the implications could cost him his life. No one would believe him if he said he hadn’t been trying to go to her room—what were the odds of him wandering around the castle in the dead of night, lost, just so happening to stumble upon Princess Zelda’s private room out of _literally every other room in the entire castle_?

Link suddenly wished he’d stayed in bed.

Kodah quirked an eyebrow at him, and asked, _“Are you okay?”_

Link nodded quickly—he needed to leave, _now_ , the sooner the better—perhaps a little too quickly because Kodah didn’t seem to believe him.

After staring at Link for a bit, puzzled, Kodah seemed to realize what the problem was and reassured him,

_“I will not tell anyone you were here.”_

Relief washed over him like a wave. Kodah smiled at him. In that moment, it occurred to Link that Kodah probably didn’t know who he was; for all he knew, he was just a new recruit that got lost in the castle.

For some reason, that bit of anonymity made him feel better. With it came no expectations for him to save the world from an ancient evil, to remain steady and strong throughout each and every hardship without falter, to never lose a battle.

Feeling reassured, Link replied,

_“Thank you, Kodah,_ ” and bid his new friend good night.

He didn’t even need a walk after that; Link went back to his room and was finally able to sleep.


	4. Dinner Conversations

After a few days, Link was assigned an official position within the Royal Guard. To his relief, Princess Zelda already had an appointed knight as her escort, as well as a nightshift guard, which was Kodah. Which meant he couldn’t be assigned either of the two jobs that were closest to the Princess. No, Link’s new job within the Royal Guard was as a training instructor; which had him sparring all day with knights that were aiming to join the Royal Guard. To join the Royal Guard, they had to face the Captain in a spar and, based on their performance, either be promoted or turned away.

Link didn’t mind the work; it wasn’t too different from what he’d been doing as a soldier, but at a higher level. Most of the knights that Link was training were much older than him, which didn’t seem to bother anyone until they lost almost immediately. Then, they got angry. No one tried to genuinely _fight_ him, but they were certainly rude when he suggested they continue to practice before taking the test with the Captain.

One recent incident stuck with him,

_Link was sparring with a knight, watching his opponent closely. He needed to take note of any flaws in his form so he could tell him about it after the battle. The knight so far had been decent, but hadn’t been utilizing his shield quite like he should, which left him open when he should’ve been guarding._

_Taking advantage of this, Link ended the battle swiftly by dodging his attack, a horizontal slice, and diving forward, sword aimed at his throat. The knight jumped backwards but, as expected, did not guard himself so Link was able to knock him flat on his back using the flat of his blade._

_Standing over him, Link offered a hand to help him up. “You need practice,” he stated simply, “your offense is good, but your defense needs work.”_

_The knight sneered at him, swatting his hand away and climbing to his feet indignantly._

_“What would you know?” The knight asked sarcastically, “You never even took the test yourself! You only got promoted because you pulled the Master Sword. What makes you so special?”_

What _was_ it that made him special? Link genuinely didn’t know. The more he thought about it, the more unfair it seemed. Why _didn’t_ he have to pass the test to be promoted to the Royal Guard? He’d had this job for nearly a month, and the thought hadn’t occurred to him until that knight brought it up. He decided he would speak to the captain about it when he got the chance.

As far as Zelda was concerned, Link found that silencing himself when in the presence of the princess was surprisingly easy; she rarely spoke to him, but when she did, she almost never demanded a verbal response. Instead, much like her father, she gave orders and asked simple yes or no questions with which Link could respond with a shake of his head or a nod. This method seemed to work well, much to his relief. Princess Zelda had not snapped at him since the day they’d been introduced in the sanctum; the first and last time he’d tried speaking to her. This alleviated some of his anxiety regarding the Princess and reassured him that yes, this was what she wanted from him.

On a couple occasions, he was invited to dine with King Rhoam and the princess. Had it been a true invitation, he would have declined, given that he was rather uncomfortable with the whole scenario. But he’d quickly caught on that “invite,” when pertaining to royals, was simply a politer synonym for “order”.

The first time he was invited, he told Kodah about it, only to be met with sympathy.

Though Link did not see Kodah every day, the other young man had become the closest thing Link knew to a friendly face since he’d been promoted to the Royal Guard. As such, when they ran into one another off duty, they would chat. 

Kodah told him that there were a lot of social rules to be followed, and mannerisms expected of one when dining with the King. He mentioned several different types of the same silverware, each with a different but specific purpose, as well as numerous other rules that Link knew he had no hope of remembering all of.

Dinner conversations with the King and Princess were awkward; it seemed to Link that King Rhoam wanted him and Zelda to talk, but could not subtly urge his daughter into initiating a conversation (naturally, Link couldn’t start a conversation with the Princess, or at least he believed he couldn’t.) Zelda stubbornly kept her gaze pointed away from Link and did not acknowledge his presence unless she deemed it _absolutely necessary_.

The first occasion went as such;

_Link sat across from the Princess of Hyrule, with King Rhoam seated at the head of the table. Link wore his royal guard’s uniform, as it was the nicest outfit he owned. An elaborate banquet—an absurd amount of food; ridiculously more than three people could ever hope to eat—was presented on the table in front of them. Porgy meunière, seafood paella, salmon risotto, creamy seafood soup and crab stir-fry made up the seafood themed feast._

_While everything smelled amazing, and Link was certainly hungry, he hesitated to put anything on his plate, even after King Rhoam and Princess Zelda had taken their picks. He watched as both royals slowly and deliberately took small, careful bites of their meal._

_Keeping Kodah’s warnings in mind, Link’s gaze switched between the fork Zelda was holding and the three at his place, trying to determine which one he was supposed to be using. Zelda noticed him staring and paused, a forkful of salmon halfway to her mouth. She glared daggers at him, and Link immediately averted his gaze; deciding then that risotto looked pretty good and he’d serve himself some of that. Once his plate was full, he once looked at the forks again; two situated vertically on the left of his plate and one horizontally above it. Never in his sixteen years of life did Link expect to be confused by cutlery, of all things. Having found no discernable difference between them, he took a gamble and picked up a fork, hoping it was the right one._

_Of course, it wasn’t. And Princess Zelda did not hesitate to inform him of this._

_She cleared her throat to get his attention, and Link looked up at her, hoping the vague sense of dread he felt wasn’t evident on his face._

_If it was, she didn’t care. “For entrées, you use the rightmost fork,” she corrected, “not the salad fork.”_

_A smug sense of superiority accompanied her condescending smile._

_Link accepted the criticism with as much good grace as he could muster. His face flushed with embarrassment and he nodded stiffly, setting the salad fork down and picking up the one on the right._

_Link couldn’t help but feel better after taking a bite of salmon and rice; it was so good! He’d always liked food—he wasn’t picky about what he ate, but he could certainly appreciate a genuinely good meal. He forced himself to focus on the flavor of the fresh fish and, after eating in silence for a bit, recovered from his earlier blunder._

_The quiet was broken by King Rhoam, who commented;_

_“You are left-handed.”_

_Link blinked, confused by the King’s words, but nodded. He was indeed; evidenced by how he held the fork in his left hand as he ate. It was a random comment, and a strange one at that. Admittedly, being left-handed was far less common than being right-handed, but he couldn’t think of a reason it would be worth mentioning at the moment._

_“Ancient carvings depict the hero of ten thousand years ago wielding the Master Sword with his left hand.” The King smiled, a rare emotion shown on his face, “I hadn’t noticed until now, but it appears you share that trait.”_

_Link relaxed, and gave a small smile in return. So, the King had confidence in him because he shared a trait with the hero of old; that was reassuring._

_King Rhoam turned his attention to his daughter, who had stopped eating and was eyeing her plate like it had personally offended her._

_He then continued talking as though she wasn’t there, “Zelda is neither left nor right hand dominant; she can write with either hand.” He explained. “Her scholar had a word for it, what was it?” he pondered._

_Despite herself, Zelda answered past clenched teeth, “Ambidextrous.”_

_That was pretty interesting, Link thought. He imagined himself being able to wield a sword in both hands with equal dexterity; that would be very useful in battle, not to mention cool-looking._

_“In legends, the princess of destiny is said to be the holder of a piece of the Triforce,” King Rhoam said._

_Link nodded, signifying that he understood. Those same legends said the hero held a piece as well; the Triforce of Courage. Link knew, under the white glove of his uniform, he had no such mark on his hand._

_“The Triforce of Wisdom; the mark of which is told to be prominent on the Princess’s right hand.”_

_Before he could stop himself, Link looked at Zelda’s right hand._

_She didn’t have the mark, either._

_Princess Zelda dropped her fork and folded her hands on her lap under the table, hiding them from scrutiny._

_King Rhoam sighed and leaned back in his chair. Full attention on his daughter, he spoke,_

_“Use your right hand as you eat, Zelda. We’ve been over this.” He reprimanded._

_It was then that Link realized Zelda had been eating dinner with her left hand, just like him. Link looked between the King and Princess, puzzled. If she was ambidextrous, then why did it matter what hand she used?_

_Zelda’s head came up and she fixed her father with a defiant glare, “Do you honestly believe the Goddess would be so shallow as to withhold my birthright on account of what hand I use when I eat?” she snapped. “If all the time I’ve wasted praying to her has had no effect, then I don’t see how being right-handed would make her suddenly decide I am worthy of her blessing.”_

_King Rhoam returned her glare with his own, “Your words are shrouded in blasphemy; you cannot hope to hear the Goddess’s voice when you blame her for your inadequacies.” He said darkly._

_Zelda looked like she wanted to argue, but then her eyes landed on Link sitting across from her awkwardly, and instead closed her mouth, standing up calmly._

_Evenly, she said, “I believe I will retire for the evening. Please give my compliments to the chef.”_

_With that, Princess Zelda left the table, leaving her father and Link alone. As the door to the dining hall closed behind her, Link stared at his half-eaten dinner discontentedly; his appetite gone._

_King Rhoam took a long drink from his wine glass, then spoke._

_He had a distant look in his eyes, and he asked without looking directly at Link, “Tell me, boy, are you able to hear the voice of the Goddess?”_

_Link’s mind drew a blank, and he mentally scrambled to find an answer. That wasn’t an easy question._

_Link thought back to all the times he’d prayed; like most Hylians, he worshiped the Goddess Hylia and he prayed to her statues. But Link also believed in and prayed to the three Golden Goddesses; Din, Farore, and Nayru. They were the Goddesses of Power, Courage and Wisdom, respectively. There weren’t as many people who worshipped the Golden Goddesses in this day and age; the exception being those from Hateno Village. Those who did typically prayed to the one whose virtue was most important to them. Link mainly prayed to Farore, asking her to lend him courage when his own failed._

_He’d heard Farore’s voice many times, always telling him the same thing, “Find it within yourself.”_

_As unhelpful as he’d often thought, it was admittedly better than utter silence._

_But the King was referring to the Goddess Hylia—and Link had never “heard” her voice so much as he had felt her presence and simply known what she conveyed._

_Realizing a non-verbal response would be inappropriate, Link spoke,_

_“I hear Farore, your majesty.”_

_King Rhoam did not immediately reply, and for a second Link began to fear he’d said the wrong thing. Instead, after a moment, the King smiled, like it was the best news he’d heard all day._

_“Of course,” he said, “That makes perfect sense.”_

_Link wasn’t sure if he was talking to him or himself. The King suddenly stood up and announced,_

_“Zelda will visit the three Sacred Springs. If anything, The Spring of Wisdom should awaken her power.”_

_King Rhoam turned to Link, who hastily got to his feet._

_“Thank you, Link,” it was odd hearing the King of Hyrule speak his name, “you’ve been most helpful.”_

_Link bowed his head respectfully—he felt he didn’t deserve the praise; it wasn’t like his presence magically awakened Princess Zelda’s dormant sealing powers; all he did was answer a question. True credit surely lay with the King, for it was his idea._

_“You are dismissed.”_

_Link didn’t need to be told twice; he gratefully took his leave._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! 
> 
> I'm so slow at updating. I'm also super slow at getting to the point; how do people write one-shots? I need like 12 chapters just to set the story up. I'm getting there though; I swear. Btw since Age of Calamity is coming out next month this story probably won't be canon-compliant.


	5. Unconventional Fighting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has less italics because I'm tired of looking at them and I figure everyone else probably is too. Lol

When Link spoke to the Captain of the Royal Guard about his concerns, he was surprised to discover the man agreed with him.

“Their resentment is, in a way, understandable. Truthfully, I was afraid this would be a problem, but The King had insisted I incorporate you into my guard as quickly as possible.”

Link nodded; he knew. He’d gone from being a soldier in the barracks to a Royal Guardsman in the castle within a single day.

The Captain, Captain Remont, continued, “Perhaps it would alleviate some tensions among the others if you were to complete the initiation exam.” He suggested, “I’ve no doubt you will succeed; I’ve witnessed your skill with a blade back when you were a mere solider.” Captain Remont praised him.

Link forced a smile and nod, but secretly felt apprehensive. That’s all he still was—a solider. A solider that happened to be chosen by the sword that seals the darkness and subsequently promoted in rank because of it. He’d skipped knighthood entirely, leaving a hole in his training.

What would happen if he failed to pass the test? Would he be demoted? What would his father think?

These questions plagued his mind up to the morning he was scheduled to complete the Royal Guard’s test. Link envisioned himself being defeated almost immediately upon entering battle; the other Royal Guardsmen—those that actually belonged in the Royal Guard—laughing at his pathetic display of swordsmanship, while his father delt with the shame of having such a disappointment for a son.

The thought of disappointing his father after everything he’d done up until now was more painful than any injury he could think of.

The day of the test came up quick; and Link prepared himself best he could prior to meeting The Captain at the training grounds. Instead of his Royal Guard’s uniform, he donned his soldier’s armor. He didn’t wish to wear his uniform again until he’d earned it.

His soldier’s gear was much more familiar to him, anyway; the broadsword he’d used many times before fit comfortably in his hand, and the simple, round shield was lighter and easier to balance on his arm than the heavy, metal Royal Guard’s shield.

Upon arriving at the training grounds, Link was greeted by The Captain, who then proceeded to explain to him how the test worked.

“Before you challenge me, you will duel three different men from the three divisions of the Royal Guard.” He listed them off, “First, a Castle Patrolman. Next, a bodyguard. Then, a Senior Guard.”

Link did not need to have the rules of a duel explained to him; he’d been in enough of them to know how they worked. But he was curious about the progression. He would have to fight four different people in succession to pass this test. He saw three figures standing several yards away, just outside the battleground, but they were far enough away he couldn’t make out who they were.

He didn’t have to wait long though, for one figure stepped forward short after he arrived.

The first fighter was a woman; she was about Link’s height, if not a bit taller, and appeared to be middle-aged. Her dark hair was braided back so that it would not interfere with the duel, and she stood confidently across from him on their “battlefield.”

“Link, this is Mable; she’s one of the patrolmen that guards the perimeter of Hyrule Castle.” Captain Remont introduced her, “She will be your first opponent.”

He didn’t bother introducing Link; it was a rarity for someone working at the castle to not know who he was.

Link didn’t enjoy this lack of anonymity, nor the attention that came with it.

Captain Remont stepped away and, after a beat, barked, “Begin!”

As a patrolman, it was Mable’s job to lure threats away from the castle, then dispatch them. This meant that her method of fighting was very mobile. Link picked up on this and used it to his advantage; when she moved back to draw him forward, Link also stepped back; throwing her off.

Seeing that her usual tactic wasn’t working, Mable tried for a more head-on approach. This was the method Link was most familiar with, and soon they were clashing blades. Mable thrust her sword forward and Link flipped out of the way, performing a back-slice.

Mable quickly turned and put her shield up to block the blow. Link’s sword hit her shield hard enough to knock her backwards, and she stumbled.

That was it—Link took the opening and knocked her flat on her back, sword pointed at her throat.

The woman spoke, “I yield.”

Link sheathed his sword and immediately offered a hand to help her up.

Mable laughed, taking his hand, “Well, aren’t you a gentleman!”

Link gave her a small smile, but said nothing.

The Captain congratulated him, beaming, “Good job, Mable’s one of the tougher patrolmen. She’s knocked many overconfident knights into their place over the years, but I can see that wasn’t the case for you.”

Mable scoffed, “Please, this boy’s not cocky. He’s a bold fighter, but he’s not arrogant.”

Captain Remont whistled to gather attention, then called out, “Kodah! Get over here!”

Link’s ears perked up at the familiar name. Was he going to duel with Kodah next?

The raven-haired, red-eyed young man slowly wandered over to the training area. He had dark rings under his eyes and a sour expression on his face.

_“That’s right,”_ Link remembered, _“he always sleeps during the mornings after his night shift.”_

No doubt Kodah had just finished guarding Princess Zelda the entire night prior, only to be dragged into a duel with Link immediately after his shift.

Link felt guilty; that wasn’t fair.

Captain Remont took no pity. Instead, he growled, “Wake up!”

Kodah drew his sword shook his head, trying to wake himself. He yawned; his efforts proving unsuccessful.

Link drew his weapon, but glanced back at the captain; was this truly going to be a fair fight? He supposed Kodah might be the only available bodyguard, given that both Princess Zelda and King Rhoam’s appointed knights would be on duty during the day. But still…

Before he could question it further, the battle began.

Link hesitated for just a moment, then swung the flat of his blade at his opponent. Kodah threw up his shield with surprising speed, blocking the blow. When he put his shield down to retaliate, he looked wide awake—all traces of exhaustion were gone from his eyes.

Link caught the blow with his own shield, and took a vertical strike at Kodah.

Kodah parried the strike—with his sword, oddly enough—then pushed forward, aiming to throw Link off balance in a similar manner he’d done to Mable.

Link used the backwards momentum to execute a backflip, landing safely on his feet a few paces away.

Kodah stood still and watched him, a smirk on his lips.

“Nice.” He said.

Link ignored this and charged forward, shield up and his sword ready for a horizontal strike, when suddenly Kodah slammed his shield into his, _hard_.

Link winced when he heard the wooden center of his soldier’s shield splinter and crack. That was a disadvantage to wooden shields; they simply weren’t as sturdy as metal. He didn’t have time to assess the damage though, for Kodah was already on the offence.

Kodah leaped forward and thrust his sword in a downward stab. Link rolled out of the way at the last moment, only to bite back a yelp when a large fracture of wood from his shield cut into his arm, just above his metal gauntlet.

Kodah was preoccupied with trying to pry his blade free from in-between the cobblestone they were fighting on, and Link took this time to carefully remove his wounded arm from his shield, throwing the useless hindrance aside. 

Kodah managed to pull his sword loose just as Link attacked him. Standing up and blocking the blow with his shield, Kodah prepared to execute a shield bash—only this time, Link was ready, and dodged it.

Switching tactics, Kodah dove forward, slash after slash, trying to hit Link. Link dodged each attack skillfully, and retaliated with a well-placed strike of his own. Link’s sword hit its mark and Kodah grimaced when the flat of Link’s broadsword struck him on the shoulder. Unlike Link, Kodah was not wearing heavy metal armor and chainmail, that blow would likely bruise.

In an unconventional moment of thinking, Kodah kicked Link square in the chest.

Link stumbled backwards and coughed, giving Kodah a confused look. This was supposed to be a _swordfight_.

Shaking his head, Link recovered swiftly—faster than Kodah was expecting—and in one clean strike managed to smack his opponent’s sword out of his hand before he even had a chance to raise his shield.

Kodah stared at him, wide-eyed, and for the briefest of moments, Link thought he saw something akin to nervousness in his eyes. But as quickly as it had come, it was gone—replaced by a tired grin.

Seeing how his opponent was disarmed, Link sheathed his sword.

“I yield.” Kodah admitted his defeat, slightly breathless. “Congrats.”

Link took a moment to catch his breath, also sparing a glance at his arm, which still throbbed painfully. It didn’t appear to be bleeding, though. Good; he could ignore it.

Captain Remont appeared and gave him his praise, but not without reprimanding Kodah,

“Excellent work, Link. You triumphed nobly even when faced with an opponent that fought _ignobly_.” He said the last part with glare directed at Kodah, who seemed oblivious.

Kodah wished him luck before hurrying over to where Mable was standing; interested in watching the rest of the match. The Captain retrieved a spare shield from the training ground armory and handed it to Link.

Link accepted it gratefully, albeit a little embarrassed his shield had broken.

“Your next opponent will be a Senior Guardsman.” Captain Remont said, motioning towards the last figure standing outside the grounds.

It was the captain’s next words that made Link’s blood run cold.

“Alger! You’re up next!”

At Captain Remont’s command, Link’s father— _Senior Guardsman Alger of Hateno_ —stepped forward, weapon drawn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!!  
> I tried to write that last bit without giving Link's father a name but it just sounded weird so I finally had to name him.


	6. It was an Accident

Link stared at Captain Remont in disbelief. His father…out of every Senior Guardsmen in the entire castle, _his father_ is the one he is faced with?

Part of him wanted to ask, “why?” but no words left his mouth.

The captain returned Link’s gaze, and, seeing his apprehension, elaborated,

“Alger requested to be your opponent,” he glanced between father and son, debatably, “He assured me that your relationship would not interfere with the test.” The unspoken question was there—" _was he wrong?”_

How did his dad even find out he was taking the Royal Guard’s exam? It wasn’t like they ever talked; and even if they did, Link wouldn’t have mentioned it for fear of this exact scenario.

Alger spoke before Link could, “It won’t be a problem, Captain. When I was his age, I’d have been honored to be given the chance to face my father in formal combat.”

“Honored” was not the word Link would use to describe his feelings towards the matter.

_“I’m not you,”_ Link thought despondently, _“I’m not like you—I don’t want to fight.”_

It occurred to him that while he didn’t speak much to his father, Captain Remont—being his superior—probably did. Which was likely how he learned of Link’s desire to take the exam.

The captain seemed satisfied by that answer, and nodded, “Very well.” Stepping back, he added, “You may begin when ready.”

Link instinctually took note of his ~~father’s~~ opponent’s weapon—a spear. Specifically, the black, Royal Guard’s spear limited to use by those in The Royal Guard alone. The Hylian crest was carved intricately into the spearhead. A spear offered longer reach than a broadsword, but did not permit the use of a shield.

Alger’s weapon choice came as no surprise to Link; his father preferred a spear to a sword, and was quick enough to make up for the lack of defense. In many of their past sparring sessions, Link had been unable to get close enough to him to even land a hit, unless he too was wielding a spear.

Link wondered if it was too late for a weapon change.

His answer came in the form of a spear cutting through the air, just an inch past his right ear.

Link dodged to the left, shield up and sword drawn, ready to fight.

“Always pay attention to your opponent.” Alger said, drawing his spear back.

Link readjusted his grip on his sword, which suddenly felt awkward and heavy in his hand. His heart was racing, and it wasn’t from exertion in battle. He willed himself to calm down—panic never preceded good decisions.

The Royal Guard’s exam was designed to test an applicant’s skill—it was not meant to be a genuine conflict between two people. Each fighter was to test the applicant to ensure they responded appropriately when faced with a skilled opponent; it was not a traditional win or lose scenario. If it were, there’d be no point; of course those of higher ranks in The Royal Guard could easily best a new recruit, but that wasn’t what they were trying to do. If the applicant fought well and stood his or her ground, guarding and attacking when appropriate, then they would pass. The fighters were not supposed to go “all-out” against the applicants, they were supposed to give the applicant a chance to “defeat” them once they had proven their skill and see if they recognize the opening for “victory” and take it.

Link knew his father was not going to do that—he would have to genuinely defeat him.

Dodging a spear once again, Link scrambled to come up with a strategy. How would he beat him? There was no way he was going to be able to knock him down like he had Mable; the man was much taller and broader than he was. He wouldn’t be able to disarm him like he’d done with Kodah, either—Link knew that from experience.

“What are you waiting for?” Alger’s impatient voice drew him from his thoughts, “Come at me!”

Hesitantly, Link swung his sword in a horizontal slash, but the movement was slow and easily parried by Alger’s spear shaft.

His father looked semi-annoyed, and a tad confused, “You’re going to have to try harder than that. I know you can.”

Link held up his shield and backed a few paces away, trying to buy himself time to think of a strategy.

It didn’t do any good—his mind was blank.

Alger, done waiting for his son to retaliate, threw his spear forward; stabbing in quick succession. The force of it ricocheted off Link’s shield, metal colliding against metal loudly. The strain of keeping his shield steady through the series of attacks wore on his injured arm, but Link grit his teeth and did his best to ignore it.

This time, when Alger drew his spear back in preparation for another attack, Link brought his sword around in a spin, and felt the blade collide with something other than metal.

His father recoiled with a sharp hiss, dropping to one knee and wrapping an arm around his middle. Link’s eyes widened in horror.

He didn’t hurt him, did he?

What a stupid question _. “Of course you did,”_ Link thought to himself, _“he wouldn’t be doubled over in pain otherwise.”_ Guilt wrapped around him. What had possessed him to use a spin attack? It’s nearly impossible to hit something with the flat of a blade using that move. He should’ve known better.

Link sheathed his sword and stepped forward with a hand outstretched, ready to help him up, an apology on the tip of his tongue.

“Dad, I’m so—”

His words were cut short by Alger, who, in his apparent recovery, sprung to his feet and speared his weapon straight at his unsuspecting son.

Link scrambled backwards, dumbstruck, and barely had time to shield himself from the blow.

As the spearhead rammed into his shield—yet again—Link’s mind reeled to catch up with the sudden change.

Had it been an act? No, surely not. His father was many things, and one of them was traditional. Alger regarded traditional fighting techniques and the honor that came with them highly—he would never stoop so low as to pull an underhanded trick like that.

Link frowned; that meant he really _had_ been injured, and was continuing to fight anyway.

Another blow to his shield, and the pain in his shield arm reminded him that his father wasn’t the only one continuing to fight past an injury.

_“Seems the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”_ Link thought sourly. 

The two warriors traded blows and dodged attacks for some time. Link was still somewhat concerned for his father’s well-being, but decided it would be smarter to just finish the battle.

So, they fought, unrestrained, until Link came to the slow, unfortunate realization that he was _tired_.

Panting hard, Link stumbled forward after delivering another blow with his sword. He’d fought two people prior to this, and the third was really taking a lot out of him, both physically and emotionally.

He watched his opponent warily, bringing up his shield when he recognized Alger was preparing another attack. Only this time, when the spear collided with his shield, it did so with enough force to knock Link off-balance. Link stumbled, and when the spear hit his shield again, the momentum sent him sprawled out on his back. Link’s sword landed a few feet away from him; knocked from his hand.

Link stared up at the sky for a brief second, before lifting his head just in time to see his father preparing to bring his spear down on him.

The situation didn’t register. Suddenly, his blood ran cold, and panic radiated through his body like an electric shock. Before Link even knew what he was doing, he’d gotten to his knees, braced himself, and when his father drew near, Link took his shield and slammed it into his father’s face with a loud— _crack—_.

Alger dropped his spear with a cry, reeling back, both hands holding his nose.

Link couldn’t speak, he wanted to—badly. Link wanted to apologize, to travel back in time and change what he’d done; maybe kick his past-self in the process for good measure. Instead, all he could do was stare with a look of abject horror etched onto his face.

He couldn’t help but think of Mipha and her incredible power to heal; what he wouldn’t give for such an ability at that moment.

His father’s voice cut through the air; breaking Link’s train of thought with one simple question,

“What is wrong with you?”

Link froze, both horrified and ashamed. Surely, his father was going to resent him for this. He’d be disqualified from the Royal Guard for his own reckless incompetence, and all of Hyrule would know their alleged “hero” broke his father’s nose in a sparring match in a fit of blind panic.

His father looked down at him, pinching his nose shut to staunch the bleeding, and giving him a look of utter confusion.

Alger continued, “You did _great_! You should be _proud_.” He praised him.

Link shook his head in disbelief. Unable to bring himself to speak, he signed the obvious with trembling hands,

_“You’re bleeding.”_

Alger frowned, and Link regretted signing; he knew his father didn’t like it when he used Hylian Sign in situations that didn’t require the silent language.

He responded, “If it’s the blood your worried about; don’t. You’re likely to see much worse in the coming war against the calamity.

…What?

No, no—he didn’t understand—it wasn’t the injury itself; it was _him_! He caused that! He’d hurt someone—his own father, of all people—and he hadn’t meant to!

_He hadn’t meant to._ Logically, Link knew his father would never hurt him; this was not a fight to the death with moblins on a battlefield. But in that moment, it was like he wasn’t even himself—something akin to a frightened, feral animal had possessed him and lashed out thoughtlessly.

In the heat of battle—a practice one, with no lives at stake—he panicked, like a coward, and hurt his father; the very same man who’d warned him explicitly that _he isn’t allowed to be afraid_.

Captain Remont came forward, speaking calmly,

“While that is true, you’d best head to the infirmary to get that patched up,” with a slight chuckle, he added, “Needless to say, I think your son won this battle, Al.”

Link blinked—did they not understand? Or…did they simply not care?

Alger agreed, and, after giving Link what was probably meant to be a reassuring pat on the back, left the training grounds and headed towards the castle infirmary.

Captain Remont looked at Link with concern,

“Perhaps you should go with him, you look a bit unwell.” He suggested.

Link shook his head mutely,

_“I’m fine,”_ he signed.

The captain clearly didn’t believe him. While he might not have understood what was wrong, he could tell there was something off; Link could see that much.

“We’ll continue the exam after Lunch. In the meantime, take a break.” That wasn’t a suggestion.

It took a moment, but his brain eventually unfroze and registered Captain Remont’s words.

_“Oh, right,”_ Link thought to himself, _“I still have to fight the captain.”_

Lunch wasn’t until noon; it wasn’t even eight in the morning yet, meaning Link had a few hours to kill.

Heaving a sigh, Link left the training grounds, unsure of where he was going.

Unknown to him, Kodah watched him go, curiosity alight in his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who takes the time to read this and leave Kudos or comments, I really appreciate it! I hope you all enjoy reading my fanfic.
> 
> Also, I tried to draw a picture of Link to go with this story on my Tumblr, you can check it out here; https://hannahbananya.tumblr.com/post/633002540669206528/httpsarchiveofourownorgworks26325988chapters though my art is...well, it's not that great. But I tried lol


	7. Benefit of the Doubt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I rewrote this so many times, haha! Also I'm trying to keep this in 3rd person limited, but rarely it might slip into 3rd person omniscient. I'll try to keep it consistent though. Sorry for the delay, enjoy!

Link’s destination ended up being the Royal Stable. The Royal Stable was an elaborate equestrian facility filled with purebred, remarkably well-trained horses used exclusively by those in the Royal Family and those in close service to them, such as the Royal Guard.

Guilt still plagued him, but Link forced his attention onto other matters. He marveled at the sheer vastness of the stable and paddock; rows of horse stalls lined the cobblestone pathway to the pasture, a horse in each one. Many stable hands trotted about; refilling water troughs, mucking stalls, and grooming horses—completing the various, equine-related chores assigned to them. 

A large, chestnut horse hung his head over his stall door and gave a quiet whicker in greeting as Link approached. Link smiled and stroked the horse’s velvety nose. His thoughts wandered to home, and he wondered how his own beloved mare, Epona, was doing.

Epona was Link’s horse; and much like this one, she too sported a red, chestnut coat. Whereas this stallion was a solid color all over, Epona had four flashy white socks and a blaze. Oddly enough, she had a white mane and tail, too.

Epona was initially the family workhorse, but Link learned to ride her as a child and from then on, her duties extended beyond plowing fields. As Link grew up, they’d become a great team. He used her for farm work, but also often rode her through the woods just below town, taking in the sights of nature, and sometimes practiced target shooting at the mounted archery camp. Riding was one of his favorite things to do.

Upon being enlisted, Link had opted not to take Epona with him. He’d left her home for a couple of reasons; one being he didn’t want to subject his longstanding, faithful farm horse to the dangers of battle, the other due to the fact he knew his mother would be alone for some time while he and his father were away. Link figured at the very least she could use Epona for company and to help with the farm work.

Despite himself, Link missed his horse. He’d grown fond of the colt he’d ridden in the cavalry as a solider, but since being promoted to the Royal Guard he was horse-less.

The chestnut stallion snorted and, seeing that Link was not about to free him from his stall, moved away. Link watched the horse for a moment longer before turning around—

—and coming face-to-face with a stable hand.

Link startled and immediately backed up, preparing to apologize for being in the way, but the stable hand, a red-haired girl, beat him to it.

“Ah! Sorry about that, I was just bringing him some water.”

Link noticed the water bucket the she was carrying and unlatched the stall door for her.

The girl grinned, “Thank you kindly!”

She poured the water into a trough in the stall and the stallion gratefully took a long drink. The stable girl gave the horse a pat on the neck before heading out.

Moving past Link with a polite “Excuse me,” the girl took the water bucket and headed back the way she came, presumably to repeat the process.

While the girl seemed friendly enough, she was clearly busy and Link didn’t want to get in the way anymore than he already had. So, he wandered down the aisle and made his way to the paddock; there didn’t appear to be as many people there, and that suited him well.

Link watched as the horses grazed; lazily munching on grass and swishing their tails at flies. He leaned against the fence with a quiet sigh and shut his eyes. Maybe, if he concentrated hard enough on the familiar scent of horses and grass, he could make himself believe he was back home in Hateno; with Epona gazing calmly beside him, roaming free in their yard.

A heartbeat passed; two, three.

Sadly, he had no such luck.

A distant voice yelled, “Make way for her royal highness!”

Link opened his eyes and turned to the source of the sound. On the other side of the paddock was a large, white horse being led toward nonother than Princess Zelda. Even from far away, Link could see the animal was decorated with royal tack; a flashy breast collar depicting the Hyrulean emblem and purple bridle were what caught his eye. Princess Zelda wore her riding outfit; it was the first time Link had seen her wearing something other than a dress.

Link welcomed the distraction and watched with mild curiosity as the princess approached her mount. She hesitantly brought a hand up to its face in an attempt to pet it, but the animal shook its head and took a step back. Two knights stood on either side of the horse, and they pulled it forward.

Link was perplexed by the scene; was her horse untrained?

He immediately dismissed the idea—of course not; this is _the princess’ horse._ The King undoubtedly employed trainers to school the horse on days when the princess did not ride, just as he hired grooms to care for and tack up the animal for her.

With that in mind, perhaps it had been awhile since Princess Zelda had last ridden, and her horse was simply unused to her.

One of her knight attendants gave her a leg up onto the saddle; and there the princess sat, perched atop her noble steed, looking highly uncomfortable. Link noticed the two knights weren’t leaving the horse’s side. He could faintly hear that they were talking, but couldn’t make out their words.

Suddenly, the white horse reared—standing on its hind legs at an impressive height and striking the air with its hooves. The princess was unseated by this; as the horse came up, she was thrown from the its back, landing on her butt in the dirt.

Immediately the knights came to her aid; offering hands to help her up and, although Link couldn’t hear them, he was sure they were asking if she was hurt. Unfortunately, in doing so, they let go of the horse.

Princess Zelda stood up on her own, ignoring their hands, and dusted herself off. It seemed the only thing hurt was her pride.

Link didn’t watch past that because he realized quickly that the princess’s mount had come around the perimeter of the paddock and was galloping for the stables; the stables _he_ was in front of.

Link was familiar with how to calm a spooked horse; Epona occasionally got spooked and bolted, though Link was always quick to get her under control.

Unthinking, Link grabbed the horse’s neck as it ran by; swinging himself onto its back. He didn’t bother using the stirrups; they likely wouldn’t fit him and even if they did, he had no time. The white horse reared once again, attempting to throw its rider. Unfortunately for it, Link had great balance and was unbothered. Link ran a hand through its mane and spoke gently; trying to sooth the frantic animal. He continued trying even as the horse spun and bucked with all its might, until eventually it slowed and stopped, breathing heavy. The horse craned its neck around to look at him, and Link gave it one last pat before climbing off, holding the animal by the reins.

One of the attendants Link had seen with Princess Zelda ran up from behind him, reaching out to take the horse.

“T-that was amazing!” The man stammered, breathless from running.

Link rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, giving him the reins; he wasn’t good at taking compliments.

Then, Princess Zelda, followed by a few more knight attendants, came into view.

Link suddenly feared he would be reprimanded for handling the Princess’s equine.

He stepped back a few paces and watched as Princess Zelda took the reins from the knight Link had handed them to and began checking the horse over for injuries.

Must to his surprise, with her back turned to him, she spoke,

“Thank you, soldier, for calming him. Storm is quite spirited; more so than I am accustomed to handling.”

Link realized belatedly that she was talking to him—thanking him, even. He was the only one wearing soldier’s gear, after all. Her manner of speech was elegant, and her voice was soft; much gentler than he remembered when she’d yelled at him in the sanctum.

The other knights turned to look at him, collectively expecting his response. Link felt their eyes on him and he knew what he was supposed to say; something along the lines of “You’re welcome, Princess,” or “Of course, your highness.” But the words wouldn’t come.

Seconds ticked by and the silence grew more and more awkward.

After checking over her horse, and feeling satisfied to have found find no injuries, the princess turned around and her gaze found Link.

At first, she appeared somewhat confused; likely puzzled by the soldier’s lack of acknowledgment to her comment. Then, she recognized him.

Princess Zelda’s confused look changed into a sour one, and Link resisted the urge to look away. Something he had learned upon being knighted impromptu, was that one was expected to maintain eye contact when addressed, unless kneeling.

Link gave brief consideration to taking a knee.

Surprisingly, Princess Zelda did not say anything to him other than a curt, “excuse me,” as she turned heel and led her horse back the way they’d come.

Link couldn’t help but feel relieved to see her leave.

A few of her knights stayed behind, and waited until she was out of ear-shot to confront him.

“Her highness _thanked you_ and you don’t even have the manners to say ‘you’re welcome’?” One of them asked, incredulous. “What’s wrong with you?”

Another agreed, “Even when I was a soldier, I knew better than to ignore royalty. How arrogant!”

Arrogant…was that how he came across? Link sincerely hoped not; he felt far from proud, the opposite in fact.

The third one was less offended by him, suggesting, “Maybe he’s mute?”

When that garnered little reaction, his face broke into a grin before adding, “Or he’s an idiot.”

The knights howled with laughter at his expense, and Link felt his face grow red in embarrassment.

Today was not his day.

Just then, a familiar voice caught his attention over the noise,

“Hey Link!”

Link traced the sound to see Kodah waving to him as he walked over to where he and the knights were standing.

The knights stopped laughing as someone of higher rank, a Royal Guard, approached.

When they realized who it was, however, their demeanors reverted back.

“Oh, it’s just the bastard.”

“I swear, they’ll let anyone into the castle these days.”

Pointedly ignoring the other three men, Kodah began talking to Link like they weren’t even there.

Kodah gave a wide grin and said, “Man, I can’t believe you. First you kick my ass in battle, then you turn out to be some sort of horse whisperer? I guess I shouldn’t expect any less from _Hylia’s chosen hero_.”

It dawned on Link that the three knights had no idea who he was. He didn’t have the Master Sword with him, and he was dressed as a soldier.

Realization hit the knights like a ton of bricks as they realized they’d been mocking the young man destined to save the entire kingdom.

They all backpedaled awkwardly,

“Oh, uh, excuse me, sir. I didn’t realize…” He trailed off.

“I’m so sorry! Please don’t tell Captain Remont!” One begged.

“I should be getting back to the Princess now…”

And before Link could even fully comprehend the situation, all three knights hurried off in the direction Princess Zelda had gone.

Kodah watched them go and snorted derisively, “Idiots.” He scoffed.

Turing to Link, Kodah reiterated, “Seriously though; that was pretty cool to watch.”

Link relaxed a bit and gave a small smile, “Thanks.” He said honestly, though it wasn’t for the compliment and they both knew it.

Unlike Link, Kodah was a naturally loquacious person. Link appreciated that trait because it meant even when Link had little to say, Kodah could carry on a conversation with him.

Like now.

Kodah started walking back towards the stabled and Link followed in step beside him.

Kodah gestured to the horses in stalls as they passed them, “These are the knight’s horses. The Royal Guards horses are kept on the other side of the paddock, across from the King’s.” He explained.

“The horse you tamed is a stallion named Storm. He’s one of the King’s horses; Princess Zelda’s horse.”

Looking thoughtful, he continued, “She used to ride a mare named Diamond; it was the Queen’s horse that was passed onto her, but the mare died a few months ago. Storm is one of Diamond’s foals, which is why Princess Zelda wants to ride him.”

Link nodded solemnly; he knew horses didn’t live forever; he dreaded the day Epona would pass away.

Kodah continued walking around the paddock, and Link realized they were headed for the Royal Guard’s stable.

“Diamond was a very old horse; she was old even when Princess Zelda first began riding her, from what I’m told. Storm is very young. And with her…” Kodah trailed off, searching for the right words, “…limited riding experience, she is ill-equipped to handle a young stallion like Storm.”

Link hoped neither Princess Zelda nor anyone else was listening to Kodah gossip about the Princess’s poor horsemanship.

Kodah stopped in front of a stall and leaned over the door, peering inside. Link did the same. Inside, he saw a black horse hiding in the shadows in the far corner of its stall. When it saw Kodah, its ears perked up and it gave a quiet whicker in greeting.

Kodah proudly introduced the horse as his own, “His name is Blackjack.”

Link gave him a questioning look.

Kodah smirked mischievously, “I won him in a game of Blackjack.”

Link blinked. That certainly explained the name, though it was a tad on-the-nose. 

Blackjack wandered over to them and hung his head over the door, sniffing the two guards as he inspected them for treats. Kodah ruffled his forelock, making the horse toss his head.

“You don’t have a horse yet, do you?” Kodah asked semi-rhetorically.

Link shook his head and answered, “No. I rode a colt in the cavalry, but nothing since then.”

Kodah grinned, “You’ll have to pick one out after you beat Captain Remont this afternoon.”

Link winced slightly when the battle was brought up. Kodah noticed and his smile fell.

Kodah spoke directly, “You…don’t like fighting, do you?”

Link thought hard about how to reply to that. Years ago, he’d had a similar conversation with Mipha. Though that was, of course, long before he’d obtained the Master Sword. Which, on one hand, hearing that the wielder of the legendary sword that seals the darkness ‘doesn’t like fighting’ might give people the impression that he is a coward. But on the other hand, maybe it spoke of him being pure of heart; Link certainly wasn’t the type to abuse the Master Sword’s power, and he genuinely liked Hyrule and its citizens and wanted to protect them from harm.

It wasn’t that he didn’t know _how_ to kill things; like every other commoner, he hunted deer and wild boar for food, and raised and butchered livestock. It was part of life. He’d also been in quite a few battles with a variety of monsters in large numbers created by the calamity; bokoblins, moblins, lizalfos, wizzrobes, etcetera. Slaying monsters didn’t bother him too much, though it was never something he took pride in doing. But when it came to other, sentient people; Link simply couldn’t see himself killing another sentient being.

When he was drafted, he was incredibly grateful that Hyrule was too preoccupied with the threat of Calamity Ganon to pit itself against any neighboring kingdoms in war.

Link decided on saying, “I don’t want to hurt people.”

Kodah was silent for a bit. Then, he asked, “Not anyone?”

Link assumed he was referring to the knights that had been teasing him earlier. He promptly shook his head; they didn’t deserve to be hurt. Link wasn’t sure what someone would have to do for him to consider them deserving of harm, let alone death.

Blackjack, having decided that treats were not coming his way, retreated back into his stall.

Kodah watched the horse move back with a far away look in his eyes.

“It makes sense.” He mumbled. Link initially wasn’t sure if Kodah was talking to him or himself, until Kodah added, “For you to be chosen, I mean.”

Link was surprised; that was the first genuine vote of confidence he’d gotten as the hero.

A strange thought occurred to him, and he suddenly asked before he could stop himself,

“Do you want to hurt anyone?”

Kodah’s expression changed slightly, though Link couldn’t make out exactly how.

Then, he turned around and began walking away. Link regretted his question, thinking that he’d offended his friend, but Kodah waved like usual as he walked off, saying,

“Good luck with your test, see you later!”

Link watched him go, mulling the conversation over.

At face value, it seemed that Kodah _did_ want to hurt someone. But Link also knew from experience that assumptions were wrong more often than not; many times, his own silence had been misinterpreted.

The least he could do was give his friend the benefit of the doubt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternate chapter title, "Link: The Horse Whisperer" so basically this was inspired by the memory where Zelda and Link are riding and she thanks Link for helping her with her horse, mentioning that she's getting along better with him. It also serves for some exposition building in a couple different ways. 
> 
> As always, thank you so much for reading; I hope you enjoyed!


	8. Rice Balls

Link approached the training grounds for his final battle with Captain Remont; a steady resolve driving him forward. He arrived moments before the Captain did, to which he was grateful.

Up ahead, standing off to the side of where Link had fought him earlier, was Alger. Link noticed his nose was bandaged and felt a fresh wave of guilt crash into him. _He really did break it._

His father noticed him and gave a slight nod and smile; his usual greeting, seemingly unfazed by his injury. Link forced himself to make eye contact and give what he hoped was a confident smile in return.

He obviously didn’t do a very good job, because Alger gave him an odd, questioning look afterward. Link wanted so badly to apologize, and yet, his father did not want him to.

Perhaps the man really was angry with him; maybe his refusal to acknowledge any mistake on Link’s part, thus not allotting him a chance to apologize, was some kind of bizarre, convoluted punishment.

It sounded ridiculous even in his head.

Captain Remont called Link’s name, thankfully pulling him away from any more awkward interactions with his father.

The captain looked him over briefly, then asked, “Are you ready?”

Link nodded.

Captain Remont raised an eyebrow, “Where is your shield?”

A small part of Link had been holding onto hope that his lack of defense would go unnoticed. In hindsight, it made sense that it wouldn’t.

“I returned it to the armory.” Link answered.

Although puzzled by Link’s choice, Captain Remont didn’t press him for further explanation.

Link was grateful; he wasn’t quite sure how to explain his reasoning behind ditching his shield for this battle. He’d thought, perhaps, if he had nothing to hide behind, he would learn to be a bit braver in combat.

It also completely eliminated the possibility of breaking his opponent’s nose with his shield.

Instead, as he readied his weapon—a claymore—Captain Remont cautioned him, “Don’t get cocky.” 

Link drew his sword, and took a deep breath.

The battle began with Link quickly dodging a swing from the claymore; claymores were heavy and cumbersome weapons; they took time to swing out and draw back. That, combined with the fact it’d been several hours since Link last fought, made dodging easy. He wasn’t slowed down by exhaustion like earlier, and he didn’t even have the extra weight of a shield on his right arm.

While Captain Remont heaved the royal claymore off of the ground, Link performed a back slice.

The captain recovered quicker than Link expected and, in a surprising feat of speed, swung the flat of the claymore around; catching Link in the side and sending him flying back.

Link didn’t have time to brace himself for impact as he was thrown aside like a ragdoll. He hit the ground and rolled, but used the momentum to get back on his feet.

Link had neglected to take into consideration Captain Remont’s strength; the man was much taller than him—taller than his father, too—and easily twice as broad. Whereas the average person would struggle to brandish a claymore, Captain Remont wielded the weapon with amazing dexterity.

Taking this into consideration, Link realized he wasn’t going to beat this particular opponent in a test of strength. Instead, he would need to rely on his speed.

_That_ was something he’d done many times as a soldier, and was more comfortable with strategically.

It was a much quicker battle than the one with his father; Link was able to seize the opportunity and exploit an opening in Captain Remont’s defense the very next time he swung the claymore downward. With his sword pointed at the man’s throat, Link knew he’d won.

Captain Remont yielded, and with a slight nod, both combatants sheathed their weapons.

The captain congratulated him, “Congratulations, Link; you are hereby sworn in as on official knight of the Royal Guard.”

Link bowed as a customary sign of respect, though the captain’s words did not bring him any joy.

He didn’t expect to be _thrilled_ ; but Link had hoped to feel some relief knowing he successfully passed the Royal Guard’s test on his own, rather than being promoted because of something that was entirely out of his control.

A voice in his head whispered, _“There is a big difference between making it into the Royal Guard and defeating a ten-thousand-year-old evil prophesized to destroy the world.”_

Many things were out of his control.

A hand on his shoulder shocked Link out of his reverie.

Link tensed and turned his head to see his father giving him a warm smile.

Alger spoke highly of him, “Atta boy, son! I knew you could do it. I’m proud of you.”

That brought him joy. Link relaxed some and managed an honest smile in return.

Captain Remont continued from his earlier statement, “As a member of the Royal Guard, you will be tasked with ensuring the safety of the royals within Hyrule Castle. As the newest member, you will spar with the knights that wish to take the Royal Guard’s test, as you have the most recent experience having passed the test yourself. To qualify for the test, they must defeat you.” He gave the same scripted speech to every new guardsman.

Link nodded; he understood.

“However,” the captain paused, then deviated from script, “after seeing you fight, I don’t think I made the right choice having you test the knights prior to taking the Royal Guard’s exam.”

Link internally panicked; why? Was it because of the fight with his father?

Captain Remont continued before Link could delve further into his self-doubt,

“I think you’re ready for an official assignment.”

At Link’s confused expression, he explained, “Normally the newest members spar those practicing for the Royal Guard’s test for two reasons; one is to prepare the Knights for the exam, and the other is to give the new member himself more experience prior to his first assignment. But you—” the captain gestured to Link, chuckling slightly, “—you don’t need the experience. Besides, no one would ever make it into the Royal Guard again if they had to beat you first.”

Both Alger and Captain Remont laughed heartily, and Link forced a smile.

As the laughter died down, Alger gave his son a pat on the back and said something about needing to get back to work before heading off.

That left Captain Remont and Link;

“You know where the Royal Research Lab is, correct?” the captain asked.

Link nodded,

“Last I heard, Purah and Robbie—Sheikah scientists—were working on restoring one of those ancient machines over there. I had a patrolman warn me of monster activity around Irch Plain, just northeast of the lab. Head over there and keep a lookout, you can borrow a horse from the stable for now; I’ll get you your own later.”

Link blinked; a Sheikah being guarded by a Hylian? Normally it was the other way around. The Sheikah were known for being a race skilled in both combat and shadow magic. Link couldn’t imagine what he could do that they couldn’t.

Captain Remont was quiet for a moment, then added, “Not every Sheikah is Impa,”

Impa was Zelda’s personal attendant and escort. Link had met her only once, but he’d heard plenty about her accomplishments; she was said to be skilled with a kodachi and took to the shadows like a Zora to water. She’d been Zelda’s attendant for many years.

“Purah and Robbie are…often distracted by their work.” The captain finished. “Now, report for your first assignment.”

Link saluted and turned on his heel, ready to go.

* * *

Outside the Royal Tech Lab, Link dismounted and tethered his horse to a hitching post. The horse he ended up borrowing was Blackjack—Kodah’s stallion. While the horse certainly behaved, he was not the fastest ride; a bit on the lazy side, preferring to lope at an easy pace rather than gallop; and it took Link a bit longer than he’d expected to arrive.

He’d changed into his Royal Guard uniform prior to leaving, and swapped out his regular broadsword for the Master Sword. He felt better about wearing the uniform since he’d proven himself by passing the test, though he still wasn’t fond of the hat. Link found himself adjusting it frequently on the ride over so it didn’t come off. It would probably stay on better if he didn’t have his hair in a ponytail, but he’d been teased enough by other soldiers for having long hair that he just didn’t like to wear it down anymore.

Despite that, he couldn’t bring himself to cut it.

Link was about to knock on the door when it suddenly swung open, revealing a young Sheikah woman straining herself carrying a very large and strange glowing object. Upon seeing him, her first word was “Move.”

Link awkwardly held the door for her and moved aside while she staggered down the steps and moved around the back of the building. At a loss for what else to do, Link followed her.

The Sheikah woman led him to a large, open area full of ancient technology; there were machines in varying levels of decay scattered about. Link was surprised by the sheer number of them; he couldn’t remember what they were called, but he knew these were the same robots that aided the hero and Princess in their battle against Calamity Ganon ten thousand years ago.

The robots that would, hopefully, aid him and Princess Zelda the same way.

The Sheikah’s voice redirected his attention, “Robbie!” she shouted, “Take the core!”

Another Sheikah—this one a man with eccentrically styled hair and very strange goggles—apparently named Robbie darted out from behind one of the decayed automatons and took the core from her. He examined it for a beat, then returned from where he came, core in tow.

Free from her heavy burden, the Sheikah woman stretched her arms over her head dramatically and acknowledged Link’s presence.

She looked him up and down briefly before voicing her opinion,

“A Royal Guard? Aw, why don’t they send a royal chef? I am _starving_!” she whined.

Robbie retorted, head poking out from behind the machine he was working on, “You’re the one who insisted we work through lunch, Purah.”

‘Purah’ pointed an accusatory finger at Robbie, “That’s _Doctor_ Purah to you!”

Robbie did not reply, ending their banter.

Taking his silence as a victory, Purah turned back to Link only to gasp in surprise; taking note of the sword on his back,

“Snap! Is that the Master Sword? You’re the hero!” She exclaimed, “What are you doing here?”

Link reeled slightly at the sudden change in topic, but explained,

“I was sent by Captain Remont, he told me there were monsters by Irch Plain.”

Purah waved a hand, “Oh, that. Don’t worry about them,” she said dismissively, “it’s a good thing they’re here, actually.” She added. 

Link gave her an odd look.

Purah grinned, “Check it! We’ve almost got this guardian up and running; we just need to finish calibrating the targeting system. Those monsters…” she paused for dramatic effect, “…are going to be target practice!”

_“Guardians_ ,” Link thought to himself, committing the name to memory, “ _so that’s what they’re called._ ”

Well, if they didn’t want him to slay the monsters, what’s he supposed to do?

Suddenly, Robbie yelled excitedly, “I got it! It’s working!”

Link turned to see the guardian briefly glow with an internal orange light, then flicker and turn dark again.

Purah squealed in childish glee, but then frowned, “Where did Zelda run off to? She’s not going to want to miss this!”

Link tensed; the Princess was here?

Robbie yelled again, “False alarm; sorry!”

Purah snapped at him, hands on her hips, “Robbie!”

Shaking her head in exasperation, Purah spoke, “I guess that gives us more time to find Zelda. She’s probably looking at those flowers again. _Boring_ ; there’s a reason I don’t work in botany.”

Then, she lit up, “Hey! I know what you can do,”

Link masked his dread well, but silently prayed a mantra to the goddesses, 

_“Please don’t ask me to find the princess, please don’t ask me to find the princess, please don’t—"_

“You can cook us something to eat!”

_“—ask me to… what?”_

Purah tapped her chin thoughtfully, “Yeah! We have rice and some mushrooms, but we’ve been too busy to cook them. There’s a cooking pot around front; think you can make rice balls?”

_“My first assignment as a member of the Royal Guard is to make rice balls.”_ Link found that very amusing.

Almost everyone treated him differently since he’d obtained the Master Sword; whenever anyone learned who he was, their attitudes immediately changed. Some wanted nothing to do with him, taking their respect of him to a fearful level, others spoke to him like he was of royal blood; strictly business, no pleasantries.

Link truly appreciated Purah’s attitude toward him; the same way she’d treat anyone else. It was refreshing. And as a bonus, he got to cook! He hadn’t been able to cook a meal for himself—or anyone else—since being promoted, and he missed it.

Link’s face broke into a smile and he chuckled, feeling his apprehension melt away, “Yeah, I can do that.” He answered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first half of this chapter was too short to be on it's own, so it's got part of the next chapter tacked onto it lol Thank you all for reading! Hope you enjoyed!


	9. Makeshift Shields

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Didja miss me? Here's chapter 9!

The warm fragrance of cooked rice and mushrooms wafted through the air as Link carefully sculpted clumps of said rice into pyramids around a fungal filling. He ended up making a few more rice balls than were probably needed; which he only realized _after_ he’d used up the rest of Purah’s rice.

Hopefully she wouldn’t mind.

Using the cooking pot as a portable tray, Link carried the many rice balls back around the building over to where Purah and Robbie were. He didn’t even have a chance to speak before Purah noticed him, peaking her head out from behind the guardian she and Robbie were working on, and excitedly ran over.

Purah pulled the lid off the pot and immediately grabbed a rice ball; stuffing it in her mouth animatedly.

She winced, whining with her mouthful, “Ow, ow, ow! Hot!” She continued chewing for a moment, then her face lit up as she swallowed, adding, “Hey, that’s really good!”

Link smiled brightly; glad that she liked his cooking. He nabbed himself a rice ball before setting the pot aside and replacing the lid on top. He wolfed it down quickly, but somehow managed to savor his portion all the same.

Purah was still working on hers, whilst standing behind Robbie and supervising his progress on the guardian. Occasionally she’d point and tell him to do something differently, which gradually began happening more and more frequently until finally she was pushing him aside and doing it herself.

Robbie stood there uselessly; staring as Purah took over his work. Unsure what to do, Link offered him a consolatory rice ball, which he wordlessly accepted.

It wasn’t long before Link heard the soft sound of footsteps cushioned by the grassy field around them.

Immediately on guard, Link pivoted around the face the noise’s origin—instinctively reaching for his sword, preparing to fight—only to spy Princess Zelda, closely followed by her Sheikah guardian, Impa, several paces away. 

Link’s stance relaxed slightly as he let go of the master sword’s grip.

Princess Zelda walked straight past him and over to where Purah was working on the Guardian. Impa followed, but did at least meet his eyes and nod in acknowledgement.

Purah greeted the princess enthusiastically, but did not look up from the Guardian for long.

“Princess! You’re just in time; I finished repairing the power core and I’ve almost got it installed to the mainframe.”

Princess Zelda smiled, “I can hardly wait; from what I’ve read in ancient texts these guardians were an incredible feat of technology.”

Robbie spoke up, agreeing, “It’s technology unlike anything we’ve ever seen; it’ll be incredible to get the Guardian up and running properly so we are able to fully assess its abilities.”

Suddenly, energy hummed loudly though the guardian and it began to glow; the light at the top flickered to reveal a swirling blue ‘eye’. The bottom portion lit up orange, much like it had done briefly when Robbie was working on it earlier. Ancient machinery groaned as gears that hadn’t moved in thousands of years grind against each other; bringing the Guardian to life.

Link watched in astonishment as the previously dormant automaton swiveled its top around; as though scanning its surroundings.

Purah jumped for joy,

“Woo-hoo! I did it!” she exclaimed.

Princess Zelda stepped forward for a closer look, seeming mesmerized.

“Wow…” She breathed, “It’s incredible.” Grinning, she added, “Purah, Robbie, you’re amazing!”

Orange wavered pink and the Guardian’s movements stalled; like a glitch.

Neither Purah nor Robbie had time to respond to the Princess’ praise, for with the Guardian’s change in color came a violent change in demeanor. It projected a red targeting light onto the first thing closest to it; which happened to be Princess Zelda. It emitted a bizarre beeping sound unlike anything Link had ever heard before, which quickly got faster and higher pitched.

Link had no experience with any of this—none of them did—but he did know that whatever the Guardian was doing; it wasn’t safe, and it was aiming at the Princess.

Realizing belatedly that he had neglected to bring a shield, but with no time to berate himself for the grave error in foresight, Link grabbed the closest shield-shaped substitute; a pot lid. 

Right as the Guardian’s beeping reached a crescendo, Link dove in front of a frozen Princess Zelda—pot lid held up defensively—and braced himself.

There was an unnaturally bright flash and something powerful slammed into his makeshift shield right as he brought it up. The force of impact utterly shattered the flimsy wooden pot lid and sent Link staggering backwards.

He prayed that was the end of it because he didn’t have anything else to shield himself, nor the Princess, with.

Prayers answered, Link heard the Guardian’s inner mechanics slowing. He looked up just in time to see it emit sparks, then, without warning, self-destruct.

The Guardian exploded—bits of ancient materials flying every which way; screws, gears, shafts and springs—and at the end, the only thing left where the Guardian once stood was the glowing power core Purah had installed.

The core sat innocently amidst the scorched earth.

Everyone was silent; staring at the power core anxiously.

Purah was the one to break the silence with a weak chuckle,

“Well snap! That was intense. Is everyone okay?” Her voice seemed to break the trance everyone had fallen into.

Link turned around to check on the princess and found her sitting behind him in the grass. He didn’t know if she’d crouched down on her own to hide, or if she’d tripped or what, but he knew the chivalrous thing to do would be to help her back onto her feet. He offered her his hand, only for her to stare at him, wide-eyed, in mild shock.

“You’re bleeding.” She said, voice wavering slightly.

Adrenaline does wonders to numb pain; Link knew that, but it still surprised him to see his own hand and forearm bloodied and burnt and not feel a thing.

The heat from the guardian’s laser had burned through the middle of his bracer and back of his glove, past the pot lid. Both the bracer and glove were white, unfortunately, which only made the blood even more noticeable against the remaining, unburnt areas.

Link quickly withdrew his injured right arm and offered her his left; hoping he hadn’t offended her too greatly.

To his dismay, Princess Zelda shook her head and stood up on her own.

Impa quickly placed herself beside the princess the moment she was back on her feet, and said something to her too quietly for Link to hear. Princess Zelda nodded.

Straightening up, Impa spoke, “Her highness will take her leave now. Robbie, Purah.” she addressed the other two Sheikah formally, with an infinitesimally subtle hint of annoyance as she spoke Purah’s name.

As subtle as it was, Purah did not miss it. Grinning sheepishly, Purah bowed ever-so-slightly as the Princess and her escort passed by.

Link watched them go and wondered absently where they kept their horses; as he didn’t see any others tied to the hitching post in front of the lab.

Link was pulled from his thoughts abruptly by a sudden pain in his arm. He flinched, and, after looking, quickly found the source; Purah stood beside him, both hands clasped in front of her chest, looking guilty.

“Sorry!” She squeaked, “I didn’t mean to touch it—I just want to look.”

Link stared at her questioningly, but she simply continued to look over his injury; even going as far as to pull out a pen and paper and begin taking notes.

Seeing Link’s utter bewilderment, Robbie cleared his throat and offered an explanation;

“We, uh, were going to test the guardian’s power on that monster camp, and assess the damage done to the monsters post-mortem. But…” Robbie looked away awkwardly, trailing off.

Purah continued, still taking notes, “You got hit instead. So, for now, we’ll just have to assess the damage done to you. In some ways, this is better! A live subject always provides more information than a dead one.” She paused for a moment, “Well, almost always.”

Nothing that came out of Purah’s mouth did anything to make Link feel better about the situation. Frankly, he got the impression that she would be just as happy to examine his corpse as she would a monster’s.

…So maybe that was a slight exaggeration. Regardless, their first guardian restored to functionality just exploded, so, even if he didn’t quite understand what they were doing, if letting the Sheikah scientists stare at his burn helped in their research, he might as well let them.

It certainly wouldn’t kill him to sit here and be looked at.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow talk about a long gap between updates! Sorry about that, haha. School is very time-consuming right now. But don't worry; even if it takes until BoTW 2 is released, I will finish this story XD. Hope you enjoy!


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